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5wt Glass
Post 05 Mar 2020, 08:52 • #1 
Guide
Joined: 07/21/17
Posts: 102
Location: TX
Looking to add a 5wt as I don’t have one.

I think I want a 4 piece in anything 8’ or longer and that rules out Orvis and a lot of others. I have see a lot of Haldin 57 rods on social media, but I don’t see anything other than build photos. It’s definitely piqued my interest as I really like short rods. I mainly fish urban creeks and the occasional walk along the lake shore. Long casts are not something I need to do often.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 05 Mar 2020, 09:18 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/26/14
Posts: 3578
Location: US-MN
Hi Jrod88,

I'm confused. You want something 8' or longer, but you like the 7' Haldin and short rods? What length are you looking for? Shane on the forum is building Haldin 57s - check out the Rod Photo section.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 05 Mar 2020, 09:25 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 11/11/13
Posts: 774
Location: US-CA
Hello, there are several options in the configuration you describe. Dusty/ ********* rods has an amazing 8’9” 4 piece 5 wt. and the 8’ 4 piece 5 wt. offerings from CTS, Epic, Blue Halo and Echo are all great rods. Have fun with your search.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 05 Mar 2020, 10:05 • #4 
Guide
Joined: 07/21/17
Posts: 102
Location: TX
Driftless wrote:
Hi Jrod88,

I'm confused. You want something 8' or longer, but you like the 7' Haldin and short rods? What length are you looking for? Shane on the forum is building Haldin 57s - check out the Rod Photo section.


If it’s 8’ I’d like it to be 4 piece. My interest in short rods led me to the Haldin. I’m not tied to a length.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 05 Mar 2020, 11:27 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/06/15
Posts: 1249
Location: Central Oregon
Graywolf sells a gorgeous 8' 5wt 4 piece on a blank from Ben's of Holland. A 5/6 to me. On the other end of the price range, Aventik sells an 8'1" 4 piece 5 wt. On the slow and soft end of the 5wt spectrum

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=67149&p=358457


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 05 Mar 2020, 12:13 • #6 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/26/14
Posts: 3578
Location: US-MN
On the vintage side, many people (including myself) use a 5 wt line on a Fenwick FF75-4, FF75, FF756-4, FF70, and FF70-4. The FF79 is nice too, but that is 8' and only was made as a 2 piece.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 05 Mar 2020, 12:42 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/16/05
Posts: 2537
Location: Georgia
So you’re interested in ANY 5 wt., but if it’s 8ft (or more?) you want 4 (or more?) pieces, correct? At the longer length, you’ve gotten great suggestions; I’ve cast one of Dusty’s 8’6” 5 wts, and it’s pretty sweet. Larry Kenney also has a 5 piece 8’ 5 wt. Also take a look at Chris’s Barclay’s lineup; the 4 piece Taliwater special and the 5 piece General Practioner (haven’t cast the 3 piece) were about my favorites from a casting session a couple of years ago.

FWIW, on the vintage Fenwicks mentioned, I mostly use a 6 on my FF79, FF70-4, and FF756-4, but have used a 5 a good bit on each, just have settled on 6 for my fishing, so be aware that YMMV.

In a similar vein, you might look at threads discussing the current Fenwick 704, as I think a lot of people tend to use a 5 on it.

Enjoy your search.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 05 Mar 2020, 17:26 • #8 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/27/14
Posts: 1501
Location: ON, Canada
The other two perennial contenders are the Steffen 8’ 4/5 and the Epic 580


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 05 Mar 2020, 20:27 • #9 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 01/02/12
Posts: 1859
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
I would add to Bob’s (upstream) thought on Chris Barclay’s 8’2” 4/5 Tailwater Special. I bought one last year and it is just a great rod. Accurate, lots of butt strength and a pleasure to cast. You might even look for one of his original series. Of that series, I have one of the 7’10” 5wts that I purchased off the forum. Again, a very nice rod, but you seem to be tied to over 8’.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 05 Mar 2020, 22:52 • #10 
Guide
Joined: 06/28/18
Posts: 338
Location: Bozeman, MT
I've got both a Barclay 82 and a ********* 895. The Barclay is my behind the seat in the truck rod and I usually have a DT4 on it. My all around (wading and drift boat) rod is the ********* 895 with a DT5. Both are 4 piece and while I may enjoy casting and fighting fish more with 3 piece rods (no flat spot in the middle of the rod), both are great rods.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 06 Mar 2020, 14:04 • #11 
Guide
Joined: 11/27/14
Posts: 330
Location: US-NC
The Barclay 79 GP 4/5 3 piece is a fantastic versatile rod. I like to use a Cortland 444sl 4 DT, SA GPX 4 and a Rio Gold 5 for bigger flies like wooly buggers and panfish poppers. I even tried a Teeny Bass 6 line out in my yard just find out what it can handle, at first I was getting tailing loops but was fine short distance once I slowed down my timing . Overall a 4.5 to 5.5 line is ideal depending on fly size and distance.

Don’t get caught up on the designated fly line weight on a rod, many of the “ fast action” 4 weights are actually closer to 5 weights in power. The person that rated the rod could be a more powerful than average caster or is casting a greater distance than someone who is using it in small creeks.

I built out a new old stock Fisher 7’ 4/5 but it is 2 piece, it also a great casting rod that for me is more of a 5 weight. It is really good to see blank manufacturers start to make shorter more powerful fiberglass fly rods. I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on a 7’6” 6/7 weight semi parabolic mainly for kayak fishing.


Last edited by dmiller328 on 06 Mar 2020, 21:20, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 06 Mar 2020, 20:59 • #12 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/11/05
Posts: 1008
Location: US-NY
I built a rod on the Aventik 8’1” 4-piece blank. I have to say, it’s pretty nice. I’d have no reservations about that rod.


viewtopic.php?f=8&t=63686


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 07 Mar 2020, 01:21 • #13 
Sport
Joined: 02/09/20
Posts: 36
Location: Scotland
Chris Barclays 79-5 is the best 5wt I’ve cast. Very versatile but a truly awesome dryfly rod. My first choice every time. The original 3pc Epic 580 was getting there too and would be my choice for nymphing, (more to save the 79 from tungsten beads) The newer ones are not quite the same. Lighter yes , but not the same.
I’ve plenty more to try yet but I think 7’9” for a 5 is probably a sweet spot for a decent size river dryfly rod.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 07 Mar 2020, 10:41 • #14 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/31/15
Posts: 1238
Location: Northern Rockies
Based on your requirements, a ********* 8'9" 5-weight would be my first recommendation. I do like the Epic 580, and you definitely wouldn't go wrong with that choice, but the ********* gets more time on the water for a number of reasons. It's also the rod that travelled with me to Scotland a couple of years ago for the local brownies.

If you're willing to consider a 3-piece rod, that opens a lot of options for you. Right now, there are several favorite rods on this forum that are excluded by your criteria. Of course, that's entirely up to you. Personally, I avoided three-piece rods for a while because I do so much hiking. After fishing a few, I've decided the good ones are worth the extra length.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 07 Mar 2020, 15:04 • #15 
New Member
Joined: 07/05/19
Posts: 5
Location: US-SC
My Barclay 8'2" 4/5 4 piece just arrived and I couldn't be happier. Smooth from tip to butt. So far I have only cast it with a 406 DT5. Tomorrow my plan is to pair it with a 406 DT4. This is my first long medium line glass rod. Great job Chris.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 07 Mar 2020, 16:22 • #16 
Guide
Joined: 11/27/14
Posts: 330
Location: US-NC
Sounds like the OP criteria is quite open, cast a 5 weight line well, 3 piece is fine for under 8’ rods then 4 piece for transporting for 8’ and up. For fishing smaller creeks I personally wouldn’t go too much over 8’ depending on how low the tree canopy is. For creek and bank fishing a good roll casting rod is a must and the Barclay 79 certainly is but my Fisher 7’ does just as well in that regard. I haven’t tried these rods but I have heard by many that the 7’6” 4 weight Orvis, Kabuto and Epic cast better with a 5 weight line for short distance casting in a creek. An option is to buy a lightly used rod which I have seen many on here and EBay sell for very reasonable price so even if you use it some and find out it is not the one you can sell it and come out breaking even or losing very little.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 07 Mar 2020, 17:05 • #17 
Guide
Joined: 11/27/14
Posts: 330
Location: US-NC
You asked about the Haldin 57, what I do like is they show the Common Cents measurements of the blank so at a power of 5.2 it is a strong 5 weight considering that the measurement system is for 30’ of line which for most creek fishing a 20’ cast might be the furthest needed. To put this into perspective a 7’ 2 piece Lamiglas rated a 3 weight has a CCS measurement power of ERN 2 and the same action angle of that Haldin at 65 degrees and most say it is a slow action fly rod but the measurements show that is not true. Many fly fishers confuse action and power and the manufacturers don’t help when they take a 6 weight rod and then say it is a fast action 5. This is has got me wanting to do CCS measurements on my Fisher 7’ and Barclay 79 to find out how their power and action angle. Might as well do my Paddock built and ferruled Lamiglas 7’4” 4 weight too.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 08 Mar 2020, 04:39 • #18 
Guide
Joined: 12/20/18
Posts: 204
Location: Yorkshire
I've only cast CTS and Epic 5wts, both feel quite similar in hand but casting, the CTS has a much softer tip, you have to wait for it to catch up with the rest of the rod whereas you don't with the Epic. I would say the CTS is more of a dry fly rod, the Epic feels like more of a workhorse.
The Barclay 5wts are always referred to as smooth, are they slow or fast-ish rods?


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 08 Mar 2020, 17:43 • #19 
Guide
Joined: 11/27/14
Posts: 330
Location: US-NC
I would say the Barclay Synthesis 79 GP for me is a Goldilocks medium action where the tip has enough stiffness to it to make some pretty tight loops and takes a decent amount of forcing the cast before you have issues like tailing loops. It can generate plenty of line speed with short arm movements and some haul which is great for me in a kayak. With the Rio Gold 5 I can really feel the parabolic butt kick in with less line out than a 4 weight line and still cast a good 40 foot if I needed to.

I am not too fond of rods that have much lighter power in their tips in relation to their butt power, “soft fast action tips”, I do know they have their merits but I don’t like having to always think about applying power during the cast at exactly the right moment with them.


Last edited by dmiller328 on 08 Mar 2020, 22:04, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 08 Mar 2020, 19:10 • #20 
Guide
Joined: 06/28/18
Posts: 338
Location: Bozeman, MT
I've fished with a Barclay 79 for two seasons and I liken it to a Jack Russell Terrier...it performs bigger than it is.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 27 Mar 2020, 13:46 • #21 
Guide
Joined: 07/21/17
Posts: 102
Location: TX
Thank you all for your input, sorry for the delay in responding. Been pretty busy with work and transitioning to working at home.

Once this ordeal has passed I’ll be looking harder at a few rods mentioned, Barclay’s 79, Haldin, and may look into 3 piece rods. Purchases now are a little more scrutinized.


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 27 Mar 2020, 16:44 • #22 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/09/09
Posts: 2796
Location: US-NM
I like my 7’9” GP 5pc.very nice with a 4 or 5wt. Line.........Aurelio


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 29 Mar 2020, 09:05 • #23 
Guide
Joined: 06/08/18
Posts: 293
Location: Boston , MA
Talk with Dusty on a new ********* ...


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 30 Mar 2020, 18:46 • #24 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/19/12
Posts: 1007
Location: Beantown
I love my Kabuto 8' 5 weight with a Wulff TT 5. Also love my 8'6" Steffen 5/6, but definitely feel like it's more of a 6 for me. YMMV


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Re: 5wt Glass
Post 22 May 2020, 18:59 • #25 
Master Guide
Joined: 06/07/12
Posts: 865
Location: US-CA
pgbuilt1 wrote:
Talk with Dusty on a new ********* ...


This.

I love my Western Glass 8’9” 5wt (4 piece). Customer service superb too.


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